MANILA, Philippines – Makati City, acknowledged as the country’s premier financial district, now wants to be known as a health and wellness center. The city launched Friday a program promoting medical tourism.

Mayor Jejomar Binay said the Medical Tourism Makati program aimed to encourage locals, foreigners and overseas Filipino workers to avail of the affordable products and services of the city’s world-class hospitals; spas; cosmetic, dental and eye centers. Inquirer.net

“We are one of the healthiest cities in the land…We have everything it takes to capture this sunrise industry of medical tourism,” Binay said in a press conference. The mayor said he expected medical tourism to increase the city’s revenues that totaled P8.83 billion last year from only P200 million in 1986.

Apart from boasting of procedures like transplants at lower prices, cosmetic surgery will also be marketed as part of the medical-tourism program. More @ Inquirer.net